


Book 3: He of the Mountain

by BepisPerfected



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls Online, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:28:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29131821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BepisPerfected/pseuds/BepisPerfected
Summary: The continuation from Book 2
Collections: Paar Jun; a Biographical Account of Ambition





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Appendix of terms: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29132244

#  Book 3: He of the Mountain

As recorded by Dremora Tzukyl, Palace Scribe.

##  Chapter 1

Paar Jun acted quickly, not looking to lose momentum from his first campaign. He asked Hahfrin to send word back to the An-Xileel in Black Marsh to ready themselves for the conquest of Morrowind. Nahkiir was sent to stir up more support for the Reclamation from the Forsworn, Giants, and Orcs, while Jun worked with High King Balgruuf to raise the preserved stock of able-bodied Nord warriors into a army ripe for invading. Eastmarch became a massive Reclamation center, with the accessibility to Narzulbur and multiple Great Lifts to Blackreach making trade easy, as well as the city’s proximity to the border and to the sea making it the perfect jumping off point. Thanks to Nahkiir, the Forsworn had sent plenty of bloodthirsty warriors from the Reach campaigns, who had found civilized life impossible, to fight on behalf of the Reclamation. Gerthok had organized more Giants to serve and would rally more as he passed through the hot springs of Eastmarch. They worked with the Orcs of Narzulbur to outfit their mammoths into armored war beasts. Plenty of Orcs too decided to join in the fighting ranks, as both field smiths and berserkers. Unlike in Skyrim, the Reclamation could now rely on sheer military might rather than deception and political maneuvering to conquer the Dunmer. However, that did not mean Jun was inclined to leave his tact behind.

The army was spit up into three sections- the Velothi March, the Trolhetta Stagger, and the Ghost Fleet. The Velothi March was the smallest of the armies, though remained a force to be reckoned with. It consisted primarily of Nords and Orcs backed by Gerthok and a few of his Giants, and reinforced with a compliment of An-Xileel specialists. Warden Keksa was given command and ordered to march her troops from Windhelm through Dunmeth Pass in the northern Velothi Mountains, using War Mammoths to transport the shocking quantities of freight set to accompany a force of their size. The Dov Lokkunal and Kodaarviing were given to accompany the March. 

The Trolhetta Stagger contained the bulk of the gathered Nords, Giants, Reachmen, and Orcs. Nahkiir headed this force with a sizeable An-Xileel reserve, and the dragons Nahvulkein, Tusuah, and of course Riigahliiv. The Stagger had the remainder of the War Mammoths, burdened with less cargo, and were sent south to the Rift hold towards the Trolhetta volcano, the convergence of the Velothi, Valus, and Jerral mountain ranges. Given their longer journey, the other forces were expected to reach their targets first. 

The Ghost Fleet was naval force sourced from Skyrim's small collection of war brigs, most of which taken from Solitude and Windhelm. Warden Veysan was unsurprisingly chosen to captain the offensive, leading the crews of primarily Nord and Argonian troops and flanked by the dragons Faadrathmaar and Krahvenaak. Most of the Xiuthans had chosen to move over the Sea of Ghosts for which the fleet was named, including Jun. While the Ghost Fleet had the advantage of moving faster than either overland army, they also had an extra stop before their ultimate destination.

That additional stopover was the northern island of Solstheim, which would give them a solid base from which to mount the attack on the Morrowind captial of Blacklight. Morrowind as a province remained a shadow of its former self, having been obliterated by the volcanic eruption of Red Year just over two centuries prior and subsequent Argonian invasion, though the ruling House Redoran that had proven more than capable of defending themselves in the past. They maintained a presence in Solstheim through the mining settlement of Raven Rock, which provided the House with a wealth of ebony and employment for refugees fleeing the mainland. There were also rumors of one of the most powerful Telvanni Wizards in Morrowind taking refuge on the tiny island, a tempting lead for Jun.

Redoran sentries on the Raven Rock bulwark noticed on the 23rd of Sun’s Dawn what looked like a low hanging ash storm coming from across the sea. Most of the guards took little notice of it, until they realized it was a fleet of ships cloaked in a haze of dragonfire smoke. They scrambled to defend their town and told all the residents to hide in the mine, but it was not enough. The Reclamation brigs pulled into the harbor around Raven Rock, with weapons trained on the settlement and dragons perched on the masts. Krahvenaak landed on the temple roof and roared while Paar Jun dismounted and marched up to the councilor of the settlement, telling him to hand over the city to the Ebonheart Reclamation or to have the town slaughtered. Fearing for his life and knowing that despite everything the Redoran Guard were exorbitantly outnumbered by the invaders, he relented. Veysan’s first mate, the skilled Xiuthan Kinol, was put in charge as a Warden to oversee their integration into the Reclamation. A small subset of An-Xileel warriors stayed to accompany and protect him, while the rest of the army moved towards the other Dunmer settlement of Tel Mythrin.

The Telvanni Master Neloth was more annoyed than anything at the sudden arrival of the Argonian force at his doorstep, though the soldiers were more than eager to face him. The reclusive House, alongside House Dres, had been the most enthusiastic advocates for slavery and were fiercely opposed to its abolition. As such, the Telvanni were one of the prime targets for the An-Xileel invasion force that ravaged Morrowind over a century before, and these soldiers were itching to put down the last pillars of their ancient enemy. Neloth, meanwhile, could not care less. He peered off the steps of his grand fungal tower and shouted that he was far too busy to deal with them, specifically asking them to ‘shoo’. Jun responded by launching a jet of arcane fire at the wizard, backed by the breath of both dragons at his command.

When the smoke cleared, the Telvanni Master was still standing and dispersed his defensive ward with a flick of the wrist. He was more upset about the smoldering scorch marks on the railing than he was about being attacked, and reiterated that despite their impressive arsenal and dragons and such, he simply could not be bothered with them. Intrigued by the eccentric old elf, Jun decided to appeal to him by asking what could possibly be more important than a literal army at his door. Begrudgingly, he stated that he was in the middle of a very delicate experiment concerning a magical artifact from the Red Mountain, and he did not have time to get into the specifics. Veysan shouted that he better make time, as they were here to hold him accountable and free his slaves, though Neloth barked back that he had outlawed the practice in Tel Mythrin decades ago, specifically so he would not have to deal with a situation like this. He then yelled that unless the soldiers were there to help him with his experiment, they might as well leave.

Veysan scoffed to his amber-faced commander that they should finish sautéing his mushroom and be done with it. The troops could use the rations, after all, though Jun held him back. He wanted to investigate this mysterious artifact the wizard possessed, as perhaps it might be useful in their conquest of Morrowind proper. Irritated, the Warden dragged the soldiers back to their ships while Jun went to observe the wizard at work. Reluctantly, Neloth revealed a spherical cut of rough stone that seemed to pulsate red at even, rhythmic intervals. The wizard explained that these ‘Heartstones’, as he called them, had absorbed some kind of divine power from the Heart of the dead god Lorkhan, said to have been located in the volcanic Red Mountain before disappearing in the last Era, and that these energy-riddled stones been thrown across Morrowind during the eruptions of the Red Year. For all his magical fortitude, the Dunmer admitted that he had been unable to truly harness the power contained within, suggesting he lacked the key to access it. He had been conducting a surgery to replace the heart of a fox with the stone when the Argonians arrived, though judging by the blackened and desiccating specimen caged not far away, it was unlikely to succeed. Jun made a few insightful observations about the potential complications of utilizing divine arcanomechanics, showing off his knowledge of the subject gleaned from his own research into the Tongue, and though there was only minor crossover between the areas relevant to Neloth’s work, it was enough for the old Dunmer to recognize his proficiency with the material. With a slight nod, Jun left him to his experiments and pardoned him from the wrath of the Reclamation, under the pretense that the First Koh-Nassa be notified by any potential breakthroughs in his research. The potential for divine power was not something to be dismissed lightly. 

By the time the Reclamation had resupplied from Raven Rock and sailed into position around Blacklight, the Velothi March had smashed through Fort Cormar and set up base camp on the western highland ridges surrounding the city. Old Stormcloak catapults had been assembled from the cargo brought by their Mammoths and pointed towards the city. On the 4th of First Seed, 4E 213, Jun ordered their attack on the capital. Veysan had his brigs crowd the exit of the harbor to pin the Redoran Navy to their docks and prevent escape by sea. The sea teemed with Argonian troops as they dove from the decks and swarmed into the city. While Veysan pushed hard from the sea, Keksa's army pressed harder from the land to keep the Dunmer trapped inside Blacklight. Gerthok and his Giants smashed through gates and stone walls while the seething armies of the Reclamation and House Redoran clashed in glorious battle. The Elven Redoran were mighty warriors, arguably more skilled than their opponents, but their bonemold was no match for the invader's superior greensteel, and their numbers were not enough to overcome their monstrous allies. The Reclamation captured the Temple of Azura, where most of the civilian populace had been sequestered, and Jun set down his dragons to defend it while his Wardens continued for the Rootspire, the seat of the Great Houses of Morrowind. However, with the loss of their people the Redoran turned brutal and switched tactics, sending out small attrition squads to wear down the enemy instead of challenging them in outright combat. For three visceral days, soldiers waded through blood-filled streets, fighting minor yet constant skirmishes as they tried to outmaneuver each other in the tight-packed alleyways. On the 7th, Keksa nabbed Lokkunal and paved a blazing trail for Gethok's charge to the Rootspire, finally breaking through into the Council chamber and forcing a surrender. 

Jun tempered his displeasure at the Warden disobeying orders with her successful capture of the Dunmer Capital and decided no punitive measures were necessary. Instead he 'promoted' Keksa to be the Provisional Governor of Blacklight, ensuring the obedience of the Councilors while depriving her of command opportunities in the rest of the Morrowind campaign. He figured that would be punishment enough. While she was expectedly upset, Jun insisted that her position was more than simply a pennant one; having a strong-willed and accomplished general in the Capital would appeal to the militaristic nature of House Redoran and be the best way to earn their respect. If anyone had a chance to keep the Grand Council in line while he was gone, it was her. 

Keksa begrudgingly remained in Blacklight with Lokkunal and some An-Xileel peacekeepers while the rest of the Reclamation forces loaded into the Ghost Fleet and on the 11th sailed south through the Inner Sea to pillage the House Sadras city of Balmora, one of the few standing settlements remaining on Vvardenfell. At the same time, Nahkiir and the Trolhetta Stagger had crossed the mountains into the Stonehills region of western mainland Morrowind. Her army smashed through the imposing border Fort Verak on the 10th and turned south, blowing through the paltry Telvanni garrison stationed at Heimlyn Keep on the same day and tearing through the House Dres city of Kragenmoor by the 12th. Meanwhile, Tsolko-Waj in Black Marsh had rallied the main army of the An-Xileel and was marching north to meet Jun's rampaging troops. They laid waste to Mournhold also on the 11th, finishing off the job from their previous sacking of House Indoril's temple city from the last Argonian invasion. The An-Xileel then swept west to crumple Narsis on the 13th, the deposed House Hlaluu stronghold turned to another Dres holding, and afterwards marched north into the Stonehills. Jun's Fleet and Nahkiir's Stagger met the Argonian army in the abandoned ruins of Old Ebonheart on the 14th of First Seed to determine how they might go about subduing the remainder of Morrowind.

The Red Year had not been kind to the ancient city, as what few structures had not been buried by the constant ashfall had been swept away by Inner Sea tsunamis or destroyed by falling debris. Jun and his commanders met in the surviving west wing of the Ebonheart Hall to discuss their next moves while the armies sifted through the debris outside. The island of Vvardenfell remained predominantly uninhabited with hardly more than a few standing settlements and nomadic Ashlander tribes, unlikely to pose any true threat. The cities of Necrom and Firewatch remained on the far eastern peninsula, though Necrom was an ineffectual City of the Dead, and the Telvanni of Firewatch were far too isolationist to bother the armies so long as they were left alone. The An-Xileel wanted to crush the Dres stronghold of Tear to the far southeast as a final offense to the slave-driving House, though it too posed little true threat to the Reclamation. Jun decided to send Nahkiir down to the nearby Fort Arand to order their surrender, then do the same to Davon's Watch on the coast. Veysan would sail up the eastern channel of the Inner Sea to do the same at the fortress of Heironis Wall, the closest known military installation to Firewatch proper. Tsolko was free to go smash Tear, should he find anything worth smashing. Jun would return to Blacklight with Krahvenaak, now that the Houses were well and truly beaten, to negotiate with the Grand Council. 

Keksa was surprised to see the Koh-Nassa back so soon, but equally delighted to hear that the three converging armies had managed to cripple most of Morrowind in just over a week. The representatives of the five Great Houses were less enthused by the news, to the point of three attempting suicide to escape the shame of it. However, Jun would not permit any delays in his plans due to the interruption of office, and had the Councilors restrained and placed under constant watch while preparations were underway. Finally, on the 15th of First Seed, 4E 213, Paar Jun appeared before the Grand Council to accept their unconditional terms of surrender. In doing so, he officially concluded the Morrowind Campaign and reorganized the Ebonheart Reclamation into the Combined Ebonheart Authority, a union of Skyrim, Morrowind, and Black Marsh. As the architect of this grand new empire, he named himself as its sole commander and took the title of Lord Conqueror. 


	2. Chapter 2

##  Chapter 2

Jun remained in Blacklight to oversee the integration of Morrowind into the cultural union of Skyrim and Black Marsh, as opposed to purely a territorial one. The Great Houses had all been hit by the Reclamation armies, some more than others, though the Lord Conqueror had no intention in throwing out the Dunmer way of life entirely. With Authority soldiers garrisoned in the forts across the province, members of House Redoran were encouraged to return home and help with reconstruction. House Indoril and the Tribunal Temple were staunchly opposed to the incoming triarchy of the Xiuthan Cult, though did not have the military nor political power to entirely prevent it from propagating. Smashed by the fury of the An-Xileel, House Dres had been left beaten and its plantations emptied of slaves due to the Authority's formal abolition of the practice. Worries mounted that without fortifying the House and resuming food production, famine would surely follow. 

Only small House Sadras and solitary House Telvanni managed to get out comparatively intact. Sadras was focused predominantly on the mining and the acquisition of ebony, something that made them easy allies of the Authority due to their demands for greensteel. Magrah gra-Ghorza had actually snuck her way onto the first peacetime merchant caravan to get into Morrowind, eager to compare the qualities of Velothi ore and that of deeper Morrowind. When not interrogating the Sadras on the finer points of metallurgic appraisal, she was harassing the Indoril for a set of Ordinator armor to study their imposing design and iconic crested helmets, or badgering the Redoran smiths to find out if different kinds of bone effected the qualities of their bonemold, only for Veysan to unwittingly provide her with a new victim in the form of a guest from Firewatch. Investigation into the strange armor of the Telvanni soldiers had led him to Neria Dranis, one of the few remaining devoted Mycomancers in Morrowind, and her scores of light, strong, and pliable ferrofungus. The magically-altered mushrooms could be shaped and carved like a porous wood when harvested fresh, though once set it would harden into plates tougher than solid steel and a fraction of the weight. The Orcish smith was immediately enraptured with the material and pestered Dranyron constantly for stock of it to experiment with. The stuffy Telvanni was not inclined to bow to irritation, though a quick visit from the Warden Keksa and the reminder that plenty of the An-Xileel would still like nothing more than to watch fires spread over Firewatch, was enough to sway her begrudging cooperation. Soon enough, Magrah presented to the Authority a new armor blend called greenspore. It was far lighter than full greensteel, and allowed the use of thinner alloy splints reinforced by a ferrofungus underlayer to provide similar protection to the wearer with reduced weight and metal costs. She even proposed a standard leather-fungus bodysuit for all units, on top of which a variety of greensteel components of differing weights, styles, and even blends could be added to specialize deployment. While Jun found the concept to be interesting, logistical costs and concerns made it extremely impractical for deployment across standard issue troops. Unless she could reliably source the ferrofungus, iron, ebony, and orichalcum necessary to create thousands of suits without draining the Authority's coffers, he encouraged her to only develop greenspore for their most elite troops. 

While the Lord Conqueror's Wardens and siblings worked to maintain stability and establish unity across their vast swath of territory, Jun was focused on cementing their claim in an entirely different manner. The Combined Ebonheart Authority needed its own devoted capital city. Ruling from Lilmoth in southeastern Black Marsh like the An-Xileel would put him too far removed from conquered lands Setting up in Solitude would put him in the same position on the opposite end of the empire, and continuing to step all over Blacklight would just further ruffle the feathers of the Dunmer. He considered Windhelm due to its location, though the cold was not suited to his scales and taking over the historic city could sour his reputation with the Nords. Stormhold in the northern Marsh was another option, with good foundations on old Ayleid ruins to build a proper city off, though it was far inland over difficult terrain and its waterways were shallow, stifling trade and travel. Vvardenfell would have offered a central location, though the ash from Red Mountain made it all but uninhabitable, and the promising spot of Vivec City had been turned to the dangerous Scathing Bay upon its destruction. Old Ebonheart would have been perfect, lending its namesake to the Authrority, though again the constant ashfall from Red Mountain made the climate poor and unsuitable for a major city. 

Seeking an alternative, Jun turned to the catalyst that had first allowed for all his conquests: Hur Momora. He sat in the ash-packed ruins of Ebonheart and communed with the Daedra, asking to be granted the knowledge of the premier location from which to oversee his grand and expansive nation. Mora refused, and instead proposed a counteroffer. His last Champion had disappeared a number of years ago, having arrogantly attempted to climb the sheer cliff of a mountain and slipped halfway to the peak. The crowning of a new Champion was in order. If Jun were to pledge his eternal soul to the Prince of Fate, Mora would construct a great palace in his realm of Apocrypha and grant Jun the means to create portals to it from anywhere in Mundus. This would provide him with potentially a palace in every province at once, as well as access to the infinite knowledge and power contained within Mora’s realm. Power hungry as ever, Jun needed little convincing.

The communion severed as in a burst of text as hundreds of yellowing pages appeared in a whirlwind around Jun, rustling and fluttering violently in a disorienting storm of paper. They twisted and ripped about, then surged down in front of him in orderly lines as they packed into a binding and an ancient black cover snapped shut around, leaving a calm inert book in his hands. Cautiously, Jun opened the abyssal tome. The script was foreign and incomprehensible, and for a moment he was unsure of how to proceed. However, before he could react the book levitated out of his grip and hovered into the air. Out of the pages oozed a blackish-green blob of gurgling flesh and flicking tendrils. They writhed around a single eye of tawny gold and the lemniscate pupil of a goat. The two lowest tentacles shot down to the ground to form a rounded arch with the book and eye at its point. The mass shuddered and was instantly turned to stone, and with a flash a green portal erupted inside. Hesitantly, the Lord Conqueror stepped through. 

The Palace of Apocrypha was massive, rising high above the waves of an acidic sea of rolling ink and stood both intimidating and grand in its sharp gothic construction. The tentacled Seeker servants of the Daedra attended to the upkeep of the castle, and shades of ancient scholars who had become lost wandering the infinite library of Mora’s realm populated the Palace grounds.

Hur Momora had spared no effort, and equipped the Palace with all the facilities necessary to befit a ruler of Jun’s nature. The primary entrance was through the fore balcony, where portals deposited new arrivals. Immediately through the great doors was the Arcanum Hall, the tall and lengthy throne room of the Palace. It featured a wide staircase flanked by roaring sconces that led to a massive chamber constructed of black stone and innumerable nameless tomes. Long dining tables were present to host guests at either side of an acid moat that surrounded a raised throne. The skull of Rahfenaar was displayed proudly above it. Jun’s soul was bound to the exquisite seat, carved from the keystone in the structure. Should it ever be destroyed, the entire Palace would collapse around it and Jun as an entity would cease to be.

A pair of doors to the left and right of the Hall led to the Library and Laboratory respectively, where the great knowledge of Mora’s realm could be harnessed and subsequently utilized. Another pair were set behind them, one going up to the reserved quarters of the Palace and the other leading down to the Barracks. This was outfitted to hold an entire army, though currently sat empty. The stairwell up lead to the Recluse, a small office and map room situated above the throne with a view out over the Hall. Opposite the stairwell was the door to the Chambers, the personal quarters for Jun. Here was his war room, where he could display the trophies of his reign, with a bedroom and a more complete office to either side.

A door at the back of the Recluse lead out to the Palace grounds. To the right lay the Emerald Eye Gardens, a collection of extinct flora from all across Tamriel and the only truly beautiful place in Apocrypha. To the left was the Great Courtyard, an empty plaza surrounded by a trellis of black metal, fit for use in activities or entertainment. A protracted tower at the back of the Palace connected by bridge to the Recluse was known as the Chapel, and contained shrines to the three Xiuthan deities, though the central shrine was devoted unmistakably to Mora.

Jun was immediately drawn to the Palace library, though he refused the constant urge. When he had first toured the grounds, limbs seemed to peel off from the shelves to present him with tomes of incalculable knowledge, the pages flicked to their most enticing passages by limp and writhing curls of text. Secrets muffled just beyond comprehension were whispered from chitin-shelled urns of living brine and brain that lined the stacks of books like barnacles. He had only been pulled away from them by his burning curiosity to see the rest of the Palace, and he did not dare return alone, lest he be ensnared by the seductive call of forbidden knowledge and become lost. Instead, he wandered through the Arcanum Hall or would relax in the Gardens, admiring the mottled islands of coiling structures along the horizon. Tentacled Seekers would politely shroud themselves from view in the presence of the passing Champion of Hur Momora, though he could often hear their squelching, slippery movements from just around the corner.

The Palace Laboratory came to especially interest Jun. It was well stocked and spacious, constructed out of the slimy green-black stone that formed the foundation of the grand castle, and therefore was notably devoid of the temptations of the books found everywhere else. He pondered what kinds of experimental magic he might be able to weave in a facility such as this, away from prying eyes, or at least those of mortals. His first thought was of his bronze-faced brother beneath Skyrim, toiling away in his own lab to understand the secrets of the Dwemer. Jun considered inviting him in, though he knew Hahfrin was distrustful of Daedra and would refuse. Upon considering others, his mind immediately turned to inspiration. With a flick of his tail, he marched to the fore balcony to summon a portal to the place in the mortal world where the Daedra’s influence was strongest: Solstheim. Manifesting a transportation tome onto the grounds of Tel Mythrin, it did not take long for it to be discovered and subsequently opened by the Telvanni. Jun burst into Mundus to greet the Master Wizard, and Neloth admitted that this arrival was a pleasant interruption to what was undoubtedly to be another hopeless experiment with the Heartstones. Jun appealed to his lack of progress and suggested that perhaps a change of scenery was in order. The Telvanni wizard had previously ventured into the realm of the Scryer of Fate and had his mind adequately cased in a variety of protective wards, and through some extensive convincing Jun was able to lure him into the Palace Laboratory.

Neloth was uncharacteristically impressed with the space and believed it to be quite well suited to his work. The Heart of Lorkhan from which the Heartstones derived their meager power had been stripped from the divine chord that had created Mundus and instigated the formation of both the Aedric and Daedric beings. The Telvanni postulated that perhaps being located on the planet of Nirn within the Mortal Plane provided too much proximity to the moon-corpse of Lorkhan, and some distance might allow him better perspective with which to tackle the rending of energy from within the stones. The Heart, before it had been destroyed, had been harnessed by the Dunmer demigods of the Tribunal to grant them their divine power, and Neloth believed that if even a shred of residual energy remained in the stones that it would be more than enough to grant exceptional capabilities. Neloth had postulated that using one of these stones as a surrogate heart would be the most efficient way to bind the power to a being’s Aedric soul, the animus he believed necessary to unlock its potential, though he had only been met by failure. Jun was reminded of the Forsworn Briarhearts, who tie their essences to the bloodied nature of the Daedra Hircine by agonizingly having their hearts replaced with a poisoned briar seed. He contacted his old ally Ulkrah Blackplume, as she was known to have raised plenty of the Briarheart warriors for the Forsworn and would know all too well about the complications of replacing a being’s heart with a magical object. The hagraven was intrigued by the possibilities behind what Jun proposed and offered the support of her coven to assist in their experimentation.

Unlike the Dunmer, the Blackplume witches were less of a welcome addition to the team. The shamans crawled through the Arcanum hall on their hands or propped up on staves, muttering to each other in broken incomprehensible phrases of undulating speech. They wore nothing but loose stitched animal skins and dry cracking pigment painted in swirls and runes on their bare skin. They decorated themselves with feathers, antlers, and bones with little regard for uniformity or style. Despite the distinct aroma of Apocrypha being that of old decaying books and fresh ink, it was interrupted by the pungent presence of the shamans. Still, their competency in magic far outweighed their eccentricities, and they revealed that in the Second Era Reachmen clans had been able to bind their warriors to heart stones of iron and aetheric nirncrux to grant them incredible abilities. Much of the specifics had been lost, as they were not recorded in their oral tradition, but it was a proof of concept nonetheless.

However, the Xiuthan spoke to the Blackplume coven before they began work in full. Despite their reverence of Hircine, he forbid them from using prayers to the Huntsman in the course of their studies, under the penalty of being forcefully evicted. They were guests in Hur Momora’s realm, and removal by Jun was far preferable than the fate his master would have for them. This did not mean they had to renounce Hircine, just that they could not invoke him whilst in Apocrypha. Begrudgingly, the coven was convinced to follow this order.

In a combined effort between the finicky Telvanni wizard and the Hagraven’s bestial Blackplume coven, they conducted a slew of experiments throughout the spring and into the summer on their meager supply of Heartstones. Between each, they would sulk to the Library to consult with the grand quantities of available knowledge within until they were inspired again, and gathered to run another battery of tests. Jun aided any way he could, though he was primarily occupied by issues of post-war governance in the Ebonheart lands. His assistance was often provided by beseeching Hur Momora for more insight, though his tips were vague and only suggested that the power was dormant without connection to the source. Neloth scoffed that the animus soul should be the source they were looking for, though still their experiments failed.

Furious with his lack of progress, Jun left his laboratory and sought out his brother Hahfrin, who had remained in Skyrim. He discussed all his team's research and findings, as well as Mora’s clues. Hahfrin gathered his fellow artificers and had Jun explain it all again, much to their equal confusion. Surprisingly, it was the young apprentice Agni who suggested a possible solution. The source of divine power was the realms outside their planet Nirn, such as the mortal plane of Mundus, the Daedric planes of Oblivion, and the Aedric realm of Aetherius. Agni drew the connection between this realm and the Aetherium that the Dwemer had sought to harness within Blackreach, suggesting that perhaps by combining the two materials they could unlock the power within. The Blackplume witches began to chatter excitedly at the revelation, stating that both the animus and nirncrux were aetheric in nature, so perhaps this more potent material would be the breakthrough they required.

Jun immediately blended the two research teams into one. They struggled for months in an attempt to tap into the latent energy of raw Aetherium to no avail. The Dwemer had only ever been able to work with Aetherium once it had been refined, though the process to do so had been lost to time. Fearing defeat, Hahfrin had an idea to follow in the Dwemer’s footsteps and seek alternative materials of similar effect. Specifically, he wanted to substitute Aetherium with the Vakka stones he had discovered in Murkmire nearly two years before, if nothing more than to prove condensed Aetheric power would even provide the key they sought. They spent another few weeks working with the newly sourced sun crystals until finally, on the 12th of Last Seed, they found success. Through careful magical molding, they could combine the Vakka and Heartstones to create a translucent orange orb practically seething with power, which Jun named an amber heart.

The Lord Conqueror acquired a scrawny criminal to test the effects of implanting the amber heart in a mortal being. Upon inserting the heart in his chest cavity, his body rippled and contorted, growing slightly taller and more muscular. His skin turned flaky and greyed, and his resting body temperature had risen notably, though he did not seem to be aware of this. Physical tests showed drastically improved reflexes, speed, and strength, even without proper exercise. Pain tolerance had increased, especially towards burns, though he was adversely affected by the cold. On a whim, they paralysed their captive and extracted the amber heart from his chest, just to see what would happen. Instead of just dying, he violently ignited and disappeared, surprising everyone present. Upon further study they discovered that his soul had been trapped within the heart, and after a few more days they discovered how to activate it again, causing him to manifest once more as if nothing had happened. Further experimentation showed that a killing strike could also produce a similar effect, burning up and leaving the heart behind, though grievous injuries like the removal of a limb would not. However, dying afterwards and being revived would return him to an intact pre-removal state. The Blackplume coven insisted on another line of tests, wondering what would happen if a filled amber heart was to be implanted into another host, suggesting that perhaps they could create one man with the strength of many. Unfortunately, the surgery went awry. upon implanting the heart in a second criminal, the original formed into existence through him, creating a shrieking eight-limbed abomination of melded men. The mages battled the monstrosity, finding it to be a resilient opponent even in such a frenzied painful state, and Jun was able to wrench the heart from its chest. The aberration seized, then collapsed in a violent explosion of flesh that shattered the amber heart and painted the Laboratory in blood and meat. 

Despite the failure of these tests, they felt content with the initial amber heart creation. Paar Jun dismissed his brother’s artificers back to their work in Mzark and went to the map room in his Recluse. The hanging charts on the walls and tables were always shifting, adjusting between his passings. They depicted maps of Skyrim with updated holds and capitals, the lands of the Combined Ebonheart Authority with accurate borders, and even markings noting the moving locations of important members of Jun’s circle. He had seen a Seeker lurking around there on occasion and he ordered it to show itself. As requested, the disgusting tentacled daedra appeared before him. Jun gestured to the maps and asked if it was the one who kept them up to date, and it deflated in the mockery of a nod. He smiled, then ordered the Cartographer to make for him a map of locations where Heartstones had landed when Red Mountain exploded. The loathsome figure gurgled in response, then summoned a blank map of Vvardenfell and began to scribble. Meanwhile, Jun contacted the veteran soldiers and Xiuthans of the Skyrim Occupation Force from the various forts and military camps to which they had been assigned after the formation of the Authority and called them to his Palace. Splitting the assembled soldiers into fifty-five teams of two and giving each one a copy of the Cartographer’s map, he ordered them each to go out and collect the Heartstones at their assigned location. The teams were sent all around the Inner Sea between Vvardenfell and the mainland of Morrowind, some even going so far as Solstheim or Mournhold.

Once the teams returned, Neloth, Jun, and the Coven began to study the properties of the stones they had collected. It was found that there were two primary classifications of Heartstones: rough and smooth. When Red Mountain erupted, the original material of the stones was flung from its place around the Heart cooled into where it landed. Those that impacted onto land cooled slower and turned into rough volcanic rock, while those that landed in the waters of the Inner Sea cooled rapidly into a smooth glass that focused the contained power in a similar manner to the crystalline structure of a soul gem. The substantially higher latent power of these smooth stones was theorized to also be the result of proximity to the Heart of Lorkhan when it still existed, as the stone farthest from it at the top of the Red Mountain would have been flung farthest onto the mainland and Solstheim, the material closest to the Heart would have been ejected at a moderate distance and landed in the Inner Sea, and the stone in the deepest part of the volcano beneath the Heart would only have been thrown around Vvardenfell.

However, there was one Heartstone discovered which was far more powerful than the others. Trace amounts of ebony in this chunk of stone caused it to absorb far more of the energy from the Heart than those around it, and Neloth postulated that this had been the last drop of blood to leave Lorkhan’s heart before it calcified and turned to stone. When this piece was blasted out of the mountain, it had landed deep in the Inner Sea and turned into obsidian. Like the other stones it beat red, illuminating the strands and twisting filigree of ebony within when the glow pulsed and showing its glassy jet-black surface when dark. Teams had found this specimen surrounded by a number of crustacean dreugh, who seemed to have a kind of crude reverence for it, though that did not stop the Argonians from cutting them down to acquire the object of their worship.

Many of the soldiers had become particularly attached to the stones they had collected, and Jun was no exception, coveting the ebony specimen for himself. He would stare at its hypnotic glow for hours, enthralled by its beauty. Even the Blackplume witches were not immune to its allure, as they would grow wide eyed whenever a stone was placed in their presence and practically clamber over one another to fawn over the gentle crimson spheres. When they weren’t running their hands on the stones, they were climbing on the soldiers to check the size of their chests and rubbing the stones over their hearts, watching to see if the glow would match the rhythm of its beat. Their frantic whispers did little to hide their intention, and many were inclined to listen.

To put an end to their obsession, Jun gathered the teams and proposed that they replace their hearts with purified amber. The soldiers' reactions were split almost down the middle. It seemed that many members were like Jun and had become enchanted by the stones and the power they held, while more than a few others actually resented the objects and the perverse witches that advocated for them. Those who wished to join the Lord Conqueror stayed in the Palace while the rest were dismissed, and on the 3rd of Hearthfire, 4E 213, the surgeries commenced. The pureblood Argonians were given rougher amber hears, while the Xiuthans of the force were provided with the more powerful smooth equivalents to match their prowess. When they emerged from the operation, Neloth and the Blackplume Coven noticed exceptional changes that had not appeared in the humans. In addition to enhanced physical attributes, they showed even more pronounced morphological changes. Their scales had taken on a paler hue, shifting nearly to ashen grey in the smooth hearts, and in the dark both their implants and the skin under their scales could be seen to give off a faint glow. Bursts of high exertion or emotion could increase this molten incandescence to be distinctly visible even in brightly-lit areas. Their resistances were also markedly higher, as the heat of an open flame held no pain, and even those with no prior magical training seemed to be able to exert some innate control over it. Smooth hearts demonstrated an even more advanced knack for pyromancy. The Blackplumes believed that these effects were more evident in the veteran soldiers than in the common criminals because they had far stronger souls, and therefore could forge a more potent connection with the power held within the hearts.

However, it was the surgery of Paar Jun that produced the most drastic results. Upon implantation, the ebony-infused amber heart infected his body. Scales crackled and burnt, the crest on his head combusted, and the spines at either side curled and blackened. Fire belched from the palms of his hands and feet, peeling even off the tip of his tail as his transfiguring frame rippled and rose into the air. Flames engulfed his hovering form high above the operating table, then erupted with a scorching blast and he flopped limp onto the floor. The surgeons rushed to him to see if he was dead or the amber heart damaged, but before they could lift him off the floor Jun began to cackle hoarsely to himself. He pushed off their attempts to inspect him, insisting he was fine, and rather that he had never felt so invigorated. For a moment, he had become a direct conduit for the power of the Red Mountain and now felt an undeniable calling to return there. The other soldiers mirrored this sentiment, noting that they had felt Jun's connection in their own hearts. The Lord Conqueror named his new heartless kin the Ambercore, and wasted no time preparing for their departure to Vvardenfell.


	3. Chapter 3

##  Chapter 3

On the 5th of Hearthfire, 4E 213, fifty-four and one more Ambercore arrived at the summit of the Red Mountain. The caldera spat fury and ash, undertones to the forever-sigh of smoke that billowed from its maw. Jun breathed with the mountain, instructing his disciples to do the same and to focus through the flexion. They laid their hands upon the blackened stone, feeling the pulsing power through their hearts and each other. From within, they heard the singular dominating will resonate through their very being. Together they all exhaled, and held their lungs empty. The mountain rumbled. Still they did not take air, fighting with the nigh insurmountable instinct against suffocation, though Jun's will remained unwavering. They resisted the urge, though in doing so the Ambercore began to lose themselves, slipping towards unconsciousness. Their leader felt his vision blur, but visions flickered in the dark. He saw his view atop the Sithic trunk, and the incomprehensible shapes. A blink, and the vantage point shifted. In the delirium, an outline. The round of an amber heart. The round of Vvardenfell. The round of a trunk from above. The straight of a trunk to be climbed. The straight of the Red Mountain spine. The straight of a round at the edge. 

Jun breathed, and the Red Tower did not. 

Dunmer across the Authority rejoiced the Taming of Red Mountain. Celebrations broke out everywhere in Morrowind as the slow fall of ash ceased and the days were clear over its peak. In the wake of this act, many of the Dark Elves began to look to Paar Jun with different eyes. Where once they had seen a foreign Argonian Conqueror who wore the title like a badge of pride, they now saw a Hero of the Dunmeri people. A few even drew connections between him and their revered demigod Vivec. After all, Jun’s powers also stemmed from the Heart of Lorkhan, however indirectly, and with the Taming of Red Mountain he had saved many of the settlements of Morrowind from being buried in ash as they tried to rebuild. He and his fellow Ambercore were invited to festivals across the province in their honor, and took the opportunity to further their reputation amongst the populace.

When he finally returned to his Palace in Apocrypha, Jun was shocked to find a few daedra milling about in his court. One of the Blackplume witches appeared inexplicably behind him and stated that she and her sisters had been watching these new arrivals from the shadows, and determined that they had come to pass judgement upon him. The couple of horned black Dremora had heard he was a worthy warrior and was in command of a massive and orderly force, something their people respected greatly. The others, elemental Flame Atronachs, were intrigued that a mortal could possibly have the power to tame a volcano, and were here to confirm his strength. The Xiuthan apprehensively addressed his visitors, who plied him with questions on combat and strategy. Eventually, one of the Dremora challenged him to a duel, and the group moved out to the Grand Courtyard to watch, with even the Ambercore and witches in attendance. Jun was shocked to find that his lightning spells no longer struck with the same impact with which he once relied, but as a defensive blast of the Tongue quickly demonstrated, his proficiency with fire had increased exponentially. Channelling the power of his amber heart, Jun ripped bolts of flame so hot that they dried the slick from Apocrypha’s surface and handily bested his challenger.

It was not long before a variety of daedra began to fill his court, becoming almost as common in the Palace as Jun’s own loyal Ambercore. Among his visitors were Flame Monarchs from the Princeless realm of Infernace, horned Skaafin Ambassadors under the service to Clavicus Vile, and desiccated Spiderkith Widoweavers at the command of the Daedric Spinner of Webs and sibling to Hur Momora, Mephala. Surprisingly, Jun found a familiar face amongst his visitors in the Mazken Sayra, who he knew previously as Sojja. She and her clan had enjoyed their time under him and were considering abandoning Boethiah to serve him instead. Jun was hesitant, worried he might incur the wrath of the Dark Warrior, or even the flint-faced sister who worshiped her, and was unsure which would be worse. Sayra merely laughed and assured him that the Daedric Prince of Conspiracy and Betrayal would be well aware of the fickle nature of all her servants, especially the notoriously treacherous Mazken. Still, Sayra cautioned, she would continue to observe him before making any lines in the sand. 

Of the various visitors to his court, he found the best company amongst the Flame Atronachs. They delighted in the displays of force wrought by him and his Ambercore, and at one point he was even invited to tour Infernace. His immunity to fire made it so he could survive with ease in the otherwise lethal heat of their homeland, allowing him to venture freely and interact with the locals. He stayed in the bastion province of Molten Vakh, a comparatively calm region filled with rolling volcanic plains and gently coursing rivers of lava, surrounded by a range of black, jagged mountains and forests of speckled white fungal shoots. It was dominated by the Imoul clan of Atronachs, led my their Monarch Imoul Fulminata, with a variety of small settlements dotted across the landscape around the central city of Vakh Imoulag. Jun enjoyed visiting the city, but eventually desired a break from the crowds and wandered off to explore the outskirts alone. He traipsed through fields of lavender-grey moss that filled the rolling plains and decided to walk along the edge of a molten lake, eventually diverting up a pathway into a forest of speckled white fungal stalks and all the way to a rocky overhang so he could get a better view. 

As he sat and admired the slow movement of the lava flows, he was interrupted by a rustling in the ashy fungal trees behind. An indignant Atronach appeared from the pathway, irritated that someone had come to her personal secluded spot. Jun attested that he had seen no particular indication to her claim over this spit of land, to which she responded that a mortal had no right to wander so casually through Oblivion in the first place, and the two began to argue loudly. This quickly devolved into a physical fight, with the Atronach determined to expel him. Neither could truly hurt the other, as they were both equally immune to the other’s flaming attacks, though they were still subject to the concussive force behind them. The Atronach was a fearsome opponent, showing a mastery of her element that Jun otherwise thought impossible. She seemed to summon fire from everywhere at once, smashing heavy tendrils of flame at him as she danced across the cliffside, expertly evading his attacks while maintaining a continuous barrage. It took all his fortitude to remain standing against the onslaught, and he swung great torrents of fire about his body in an effort to shield himself from the swarm of impacts. The Atronach leapt over him for a flying kick to finish him off, but he seized her momentary lapse in attack to funnel the inferno into a single shouting punch. It ripped all the flames from the battlefield into a skyward burst, so strong it could be seen all the way from Vakh Imolag.

The dazed elemental dropped to the ground not far away as Jun fell to his knees, overcome by exertion. He sighed victoriously and leaned back into the soft mossy grass, where he lay as he tried to catch his breath. Eventually, he heard a mumble from where the Atronach rested. She sat up and grumbled that he wasn’t half bad, for a mortal. He responded from his spot that she was pretty good, for a daedra. She scoffed that it was hardly a complement coming from him. Sure, he could move a great quantity of fire, but he lacked any hint of finesse or elegance necessary to effectively control the element. He shrugged and suggested it must be effective enough to have bested her.

The Atronach drifted laboriously up the hillside and sat down on the cliff beside him, though refused to make eye contact. They stayed there silently for a long while, until Jun had collected himself enough to roll over and properly admire the scenery. He commented on the landscape and the lake, noting that he could see why she would want this spot all to herself. She jerked her head away and mentioned that it offered an ideal vantage point over the area, which intrigued Jun. He managed to get the guarded elemental to reveal that she had once been a commander for the Imoul clan and helped to rally their forces against Mehrunes Dagon when he attempted to conquer Infernace for himself. This cliffside is where she had surveyed her first battle, against the Magdra clan, hence why she was so protective of it. He divulged that he had also led a battle or two in his time, and from there her interest piqued.

Hours passed as the pair talked, watching the view and each other with equal regard. She eventually introduced herself as Imoul Caldra, and after yet more winding conversation disclosed that she was actually an heir to the monarchy of her homeland, but had never been particularly interested in the politics of the court like her brothers. Her real passion was in the fight, and she had trained for years to become one of her clan’s most talented blazeweavers. However, her station as a commander had not come from skill alone. In talking with the Atronach, she demonstrated a level of military expertise and tactical genius that rivalled the Xiuthan’s, if not surpassed it. She openly criticized Jun for some of his strategic choices in his many exploits, such as holding back his dragons in the Battle for Blacklight to allow the Redoran control over the choice of warfare, and suggested alternatives that would have provided him a much larger advantage during his conquests. Still, this was tempered by her admiration for what he _had_ accomplished, especially as a mere mortal. His mastery over both the Tongue and the dragons who wielded it impressed her to no end, and she had to give credit to some of his more strategic victories. Caldra admitted that she yearned to be fighting again like Jun, as much of the conflict between Infernace’s independent provinces and those that bowed to Dagon were now played out through political maneuverings between monarchs and their barons. When the machinations of the court became too much for the princess to stomach, she would retreat to this hill to soothe her obscene boredom. She admitted that her match with the Xiuthan had been the most fun she had experienced in ages, and he evasively asked if she would like to spar again sometime. The Atronach burned hotter and practically jumped at the opportunity.

When finally Jun decided to return to Apocrypha, the princess chose to leave behind her court and instead accompany him. The dank, wet air of the realm was not conducive to the Atronach, a fact that caused many of his flaming visitors to leave shortly after, though Caldra found it a welcome break from the homeland to which she had grown so accustomed. When Paar Jun was not attending to his duties as Lord Conqueror, he would slip away to spend time with her. Sometimes they could be found on the Palace grounds, strolling through the Gardens, or sparing in the courtyard. Occasionally they joined the off-duty Ambercore playing a few rounds of teeba-hatsei, a classic Argonian ballgame. Other times they would climb through books to adventure in the distant islands of Apocrypha, braving the abstract and often abhorrent architecture of Mora’s tenebrous library, delving through maddening passageways of living ooze and shelves that pinch and clack in search of challenges and treasure. They revelled delightfully in the true horror of the utterly recondite realm, only to return with arms full of plundered wealth and secrets to the comparative safety of the Palace. Their unseemly closeness was indisputable and rumors about the two quickly spread throughout Jun’s court, but no one dared to confront either concerning the validity of them. Some even took to calling him a prince of Imoul Vakh, due to his association with the princess. It was whispered that she was the first person to see him without his mask since it was first bestowed upon him by the Dov.

Caldra was less entertained by the Blackplume witches that appeared suddenly and without warning at Jun’s side whenever they required his attention. The Reach shamans had only grown more profane and frenzied since their arrival in Apocrypha, a fact the Xiuthan had not noticed until he had spent some time away. They had somehow become more scant in their apparel, shedding the skins on their limbs and instead decorating them with dots, circles, and whipping lines of thick black-green ink. What few strips of fur they still clung to were smattered and stained by the same substance. Scraps of ripped and crumpled pages were stuffed amidst their existing macabre decorations of bones and feathers, clear indications of their constant time in the Palace Library. Neloth had long since departed their team and even Ulkrah had become wary of her own coven and their growing mania. Jun assured the Atronach that despite their odd behavior, the witches had only ever acted in his best interest and their involvement with the Ambercore made them an essential part of his court, though that did not make her any less wary of them. He was not sure whether he should be proud or disturbed by the fact his band of mortals could unnerve even daedra.   
  



	4. Chapter 4

##  Chapter 4

On the 14th of Second Seed, 4E 214, mere weeks after his return from Molten Vakh, Paar Jun was approached at his throne by all his fellow Mulzeymahhe and his Wardens. Most had not seen their leader and elder brother in nearly a year, and were eager to speak with him again. They had only now managed to find the portal left behind in Old Ebonheart just to be able to reach him, as he had left no means of contact. Even Krahvenaak, his loyal Dov, had been left forgotten and masterless. Peace had spread across the provinces of the Combined Ebonheart Authority thanks to their ceaseless efforts in his absence, though they were hurt that he had spent so much time away and so soon. Jun apologized profusely for neglecting his most loyal and promised to never abandon them as he had done again. Still, he was equally glad to see them as well, and ordered the Palace staff to prepare a celebration. So long as there was nothing immediately pressing, he wanted to share with them all the revelations of his year away, to make up for not including them prior. There were so many things he wanted to show and new court members he wanted to introduce to them, and he wanted more than anything to spend time with his family. All the politics and policies could be discussed after.

The next morning, once the aftermath of a night of revelry had been cleaned and the hangovers had been nursed, Jun gathered the Xiuthans in his war room to discuss all that had transpired while he was away.

Greymoor had become a proper hold town, with a sizeable number of nomadic Giants giving up their herds to settle there. Gerthok had been proactive in enforcing his claim to his new hold, having greensteel armored Giants patrolling the roads and encouraging Nords to settle and farm nearby. The Reach had stayed true to its agreement, maintaining mostly friendly relations with Skyrim. Trade prospered with the Forsworn no longer raiding caravans and Tsuchus Silverscale had ensured that valuable silver flowed through the coffers of the Authority. High King Balgruuf and Lozok had invited many dignitaries from High Rock and Hammerfell to ensure trade and good relations was maintained between Skyrim’s neighbors.

As for the Mulzeymahhe themselves, Nahkiir had been working tirelessly with a number of An-Xileel soldiers to keep the peace all across the Authority. After it was revealed that Paar Jun was ruling from the realm of Apocrypha and had filled his court with daedra, an order of zealots from across the provinces called the Vigil of Stendarr reformed their ranks and had been terrorizing towns and travelers. Hahfrin reported that the debt created by the Reclamation’s activities was slowly being recouped, thanks to the sale of silver from the Reach, ale from the Rift, ebony from Morrowind, and rare plants and artifacts from Blackreach, though he wished to levy some additional taxes to fund the reconstruction efforts of the Dunmeri cities. Lozok was busy trying to sooth the populace of Skyrim by working to keep their promises to their allies and ensure forces were applied appropriately to keep the roads secure from bandits and other malcontents.

In Morrowind, the Great Houses were heavily conflicted about how to view Paar Jun. Some of them still saw him as a hostile invader who needed to be expelled from their land, in the case of House Dres. Others saw him as a powerful demigod who would come to the aid of the Dunmer in their time of need, as many did in House Redoran. Not only did the Xiuthan Cult not include any of House Indoril’s gods, leading them to believe the Authority shunned their beliefs, but it was a directly competing triarchy. What little remained of House Telvanni did not quite know what to think of Jun. Their ‘might makes right’ attitude and respect for powerful mages would have put them in full support of Jun, though their defeat and near total destruction at the hands of the Argonians in their first invasion fueled their hatred of his kind.

Jun nodded and grinned, keen to prove he had not gotten rusty as a ruler. Passing a side-eyed glance at Caldra, he began issuing orders. Nahkiir, as his most capable, was to gather the forty-six remaining members of the Occupation force, as well as any Xiuthan or An-Xileel warriors she trusted enough to join them, and the rest of the Xiuthan Dov into one large taskforce to tackle the Authority’s internal threats. He wanted them to visit every Jarl, Chieftain, Warden, Councilor, Sap-Speaker, and Hist, moving from hold to hold and province to province to put down whatever immediate dangers they faced. Anything they could not directly defeat, such as an impending natural disaster, they were only to advise on and then move on, notifying him directly of the situation so he could form a long-term solution. Any hints of the Vigil were to be crushed. Lozok was tasked with designing reconstruction projects across the Authority, using what funds were at their disposal to keep the provinces out of a post-war recession. Hahfrin was to transfer all accounting and logistics of the Btharzaleft station to his resin-faced brother and focus his team of artificers on securing the caverns and reverse engineering Dwemer mechanisms for commercial uses. Even minor applications of steam technology could generate heaps of gold for the Authority, and Morrowind was infested with other Dwemer ruins that could provide additional insight into their construction. As for the Wardens, they would be essential to maintaining order in the conquered lands. Veysan was to be installed as overseer over shipping through all Authority ports, to ensure no pirates or smugglers had taken advantage of a lapse is security and the honest sailors coming in were not under threat at sea. Kinol and Keksa were to remain as acting enforcers in Raven Rock and Blacklight respectively to ensure the Dunmer continued to be contributory to the Authority as a whole. Keksa especially, the brute that she was, had been essential to keeping the Grand Council in line, and her time with the Redoran was slowly earning their loyalty.

To counteract his heavy-handed approach, Paar Jun wanted to further improve his relations with the people of Morrowind. Tensions remained flared between the races of the Combined Ebonheart Authority, and Jun wanted to show he not only had the power to conquer armies, but deep-seated biases as well. A fractured empire would never last, but if he could make the traditionally isolationist and xenophobic Nords, Dunmer, and Argonians to coexist peacefully, then he could feel secure in the union’s stability. First, he put freedom of religion into official law, permitting citizens of the Authority to worship any Aedra or Daedra they desired, so long as such worship did not endanger the lives of non-believers. He hoped this way those who were opposed to the Xiuthan Cult, or even the Daedra as a whole, would not feel it was being imposed upon them wrongly.

As a token of good faith towards the Telvanni and perhaps in an attempt to earn their favor, Jun next took his Ambercore and travelled to their heavily damaged capital of Sadrith Mora, which had been destroyed by the Red Year and remained submerged beneath a thick layer of soot ever since. Harnessing the power of the Red Mountain once again, Jun sensed the cremated remains amongst the ash. There were Heartstones here too, buried alongside the dead. Jun bound the remains to the stones, as he had done a few times before in the course of their experiments on the objects, and raised a legion of ash sentinels from the ruins. He then gathered his Ambercore into a pyromantic concert, lifting the ash from the ruins and into the sky. They directed tendrils of the swirling cloud to grab the toppled mushroom towers of Tel Naga and re-root them, cementing them into the ground with compacted ash. With the shriveled towers replaced, the group then focused and condensed the cloud into a ring. The smooth-hearted released great gouts of fire to heat the ring as the rest worked to compact the ash, creating a baked sandstone type material that they then separated into blocks and lowered to the ground. Jun directed the ash sentinels to stack them, constructing thick walls that encompassed the island. They repeated the process, draining the remaining ash from within the fungal ruins to create garrison towers around the wall. Here the ash sentinels solidified into statues overlooking the Inner Sea, and Paar Jun enchanted them to reanimate should they ever be needed to defend the city. By the morning of the 27th of Second Seed, the reconstruction was complete.

When the remaining Telvanni heard of this act, many rushed to the city to continue the revitalization. Master Neloth had once been the ruling wizard lord of the city before it fell, though he was quite content with his new home in Tel Mythrin and gave a curt, disinterested blessing for some other aspiring mage to occupy the empty Tel Naga. At the recommendation of a particularly insisting correspondent, Neria Dranis settled in as Master wizard and used her mycological knowledge to breathe new life into the cleared streets. Within days of her arrival, the withered fungai began to expand and bloom once again. Color returned to the ashy wastes, and Neria planted a host of new Emperor Parasols to grow across the waterways. A sizable patch of fresh ferrofungus appeared on one of the nearby isles nearby, with free Argonian farmhands working the land, though the new Master Wizard claimed total ignorance of such a thing. Despite the Telvanni's standing grudges, the House reluctantly acknowledged the magical skill necessary to excavate their stronghold city, though remained suspicious that he did not ask for payment. Generosity was a foreign concept to the Telvanni, though they were quick to take advantage of it, and ultimately swung their support moderately towards the Lord Conqueror. He took it as a compliment.

A sect of mages devoted entirely to ash magic emerged out of Sadrith Mora not long after, known as the Grey Fathom. They were led by Drelith Fathyron, a nephew of one of the old Master Wizard’s apprentices, who had been taught rudimentary ash magic by his uncle. The Fathom trained in the ash wastes that remained in Vvardenfell, practicing to be able to clean the rest of Morrowind one day. While Jun and his ilk had been using raw magical command to brute force the ash into forms, these mages used subtler methods to coerce power from the ash, and Jun encouraged the Fathom to teach them their methods. The mages revered the destructive power of the great volcano and came to direct some of that worship towards the Ambercore themselves. Neria allowed them to grow a cloister on the outskirts of Sadrith Mora to contain their adulation, under the pretense that it kept their blasphemy out of the city proper. Some would even repeat a mantra of prayer to their Ebonheart leader: ‘He of the Mountain, who calms the storm, parts the Ash, and makes Houses reborn. Worthy, divine, is He of the Mountain’.


	5. Chapter 5

##  Chapter 5

Meanwhile, the Empire in Cyrodiil was concerned with the rise of the Combined Ebonheart Authority. They were in no position to take back the long seceded lands of Morrowind and Black Marsh, nor attempt to fight another brutal war to reclaim Skyrim after their failure in years past. Three years of squabbling by the Elder Council had failed to put a replacement on the throne after Emperor Titus Mede II died without a clear heir, until the Skingrad warlord Anchar Virantus was able to pressure them into electing him as their successor. However, the Colovian's hamfisted rule and disregard for the people had made his eight-year reign a turbulent one, and after his assassination in 4E 212, the Elder Council were back to infighting to try and place a figurehead on the throne that would suit their own purposes. With the Empire at its weakest point in decades, the sudden arrival of this new political entity on the border was worrying to say the least. The encroaching force of the Combined Ebonheart Authority occupied the largest swath of physical territory on mainland Tamriel, and their armies were equally formidable. With the Authority in control of the entire north and east of the continent, and presenting as openly hostile to the Aldmeri Dominion that commanded the entire south and southwest, the Empire was rightfully anxious about being sandwiched between them.

One Imperial Legate, with the boon of that month’s Emperor, decided to employ the assistance of the reformed Vigil of Stendarr to weaken their mutual enemy, and sent a convoy loaded with supplies to the border between Skyrim and Cyrodiil. The Vigil had occupied a sizeable territory in the southeast of the Rift, digging in at Fort Dawnguard and Stendarr’s Beacon that defended the border road into Cyrodiil. Keeper Nodal was more than happy to accept the Empire’s support and began to arm and armor his Vigilants with Legion steel.

The Dov Faadrathmaar had settled into a lair of his own in the nearby mountain, charged by Nahkiir on a tip from the local brewery of Vigil activity in the area, and wasted no time in contacting her about the army growing there. Rather than risk her own soldiers, she instead passed on the information to her eldest brother, believing that the appearance of the Lord Conqueror himself would cause them to become embroiled in fanaticism and trip over their own zealotry. Paar Jun gladly accepted the offer and, on the 17th of Midyear, mobilized his Ambercore. Caldra decided to join him to see for herself if he was truly as tactful as a commander as he claimed.

Jun came from the west on the back of Krahvenaak, reaching Stendarr’s Beacon first. He gave no word of warning nor attempt for mercy, unleashing upon the watchtower such an intense eruption of blazing heat that half of the snow upon the peak was instantly turned to steam and the remainder melted into a great cascade of water that rained down the mountainside, leaving the summit blackened and barren. The tower had ceased to exist, though in the fort to the east, the Vigilants noted a light hailstorm of scalding pebbles trickling from the sky. Their Keeper saw the great clouds of smoke and steam and immediately roused his forces for battle.

The Fifty-Four and One More met them in the canyon outside their fort, where the Ebonheart loudly proclaimed his pity for his deluded subjects. He stated that every arm raised against him and his forces would fall, and they would gain naught but an early death. He urged them to return to their families—to their parents, to their siblings, to their children—rather than waste their lives here fighting a battle they could not win. He had granted those at the Beacon a fearless and instant end, and warned that he would not be able to grant those here the same mercy.

Some of the Vigilants glanced worriedly between each other, though Nodal ordered everyone to hold against the demon before them. They would die here and now to protect those they loved. Jun responded by breathing a massive jet of fire that melted the stone beneath him, then coercing the molten rock out of its crater to swirl around himself in a defensive sphere of magma. Jun shouted out to the Vigilants once more, presenting them with one last chance to surrender and retreat. Nodal remained unfazed despite the Lord Conqueror’s show of power, though some of the hesitant Vigilants at the front lines broke ranks and fled.

Paar Jun exhaled a torrent of flame into the molten sphere, blasting out a concentrated bout of fire and lava that coated the ground and immolated the first lines of the paladins. The Ambercore charged into action, catching the Vigilants on the back foot and striding through the fires to slaughter those caught in the way. The paladins easily outnumbered the invaders fifty to one, but with Ziirokein training and fire magics on their side, the Authority’s forces easily cut through the warriors. Jun split his sphere into a concave dish above his head and tossed the other half away into the sky. The Keeper was perplexed but noticed the Ambercores had stopped momentarily to watch their leader, so he ordered his Vigilants into a secondary charge. However, just as blades clashed once again, a number of the paladins were impaled by javelins from the sky. The rest looked up to see a rain of volcanic shards descending like a black fog toward them, formed from tiny droplets of the ejected lava that had cooled and solidified needle-thin on their way back down. The lucky ones were dead before they had the chance to even raise their shields. The battlemages instinctively put up their magical wards, only to have them smashed to pieces and their skin shredded by the tempest of black glass arrows. While the rest of the Vigilants cowered under their sparse wooden cover, Jun unleashed his remaining lava in a wave, washing underneath their canopy of shields and burning them alive.

The Keeper had survived the onslaught from a buttress tower overlooking the battlefield and desperately ran for the fort to hide inside and escape the slaughter. Jun swung the molten wave into the bridge, smashing the thick stonework to pieces and sending him flying off. Nodal survived the fall but broke both his legs on the landing. The Lord Conqueror smugly made his way over to him, one last strand of molten rock curling between his fingertips. He pulled it into a long rod and used a lone word of ice to cool it into a javelin. He yanked the Keeper off the ground and looked the man in the eyes, seeing nothing but fury and pain. Nodal wound up to spit in his face, through the spear was planted through his ribs before it could be launched. His head fell backward, saliva-filled mouth open to the sky as though it were a birdbath and marred with an eternal expression of hatred for those that might consider its use. Paar Jun left the body impaled in the center of the battlefield.

An impressed Caldra proclaimed glory to the Combined Ebonheart Authority and congratulated the Ambercore on their combat tactics and offensive pyromancy. She suggested that standard greensteel no longer suited them, and encouraged her partner to have Magrah design a dedicated set to match their prowess. Jun teased the Atronach that his Ambercore were nearly as talented than she was, and she countered that perhaps once they returned to the Palace she should remind him exactly how talented she could be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Book 4 at: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29131890/chapters/71516556


End file.
